Sears Roebuck Ted Williams Personal Model 400?

[Musashi]

Today I picked up an odd Sears / Ted Williams model that I've never come across before - fastback, wing tip, one-piece web, around 11.75-12.00". Not great leather, but better than any Sears models I've seen. Plus, it's got a black label, where I've only seen green ones. There's a broken lace between the pinky and ring finger, but what the hell - I only paid 5 bucks for it.

Anyway, I know from the "who made what for whom" post that Wilson and Dubow made gloves for Sears, but for some reason, this one reminds me more of a MacGregor than anything else...what does everyone else think? Has anyone ever come across this model?

[fuzzydogg22]

Hmm what an interesting glove! Just looking at your pics makes me think it a frankinstein nokona/rawlings/McGregor! Wish i could find something that cool

[Musashi]

Well..if you really want one, there's one on Ebay that looks exactly like mine. Actually, the condition of the ebay one might actually be a shade better - the markings are a little darker, and the patch seems clearer. The leather is seems about the same as mine (mine was that light before I lexol-ed it).

I only paid 5 bucks for mine, but I'd bet you actually could snag that one for a dollar.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Older-SEARS-TED-WIL ... dZViewItem

[fuzzydogg22]

Ah hah, thank you! I think my collection will be growing and my wallet will be shrinking (even if it is just a buck) thanks!

[Cowboy7130]

I am interested in Ted Williams gloves. I have a couple of really nice ones in my modest collection. As has been stated in other venues, the leather is not the greatest, and the designs seem just a little bit "off" in some ways. However, there were a jillion of them made for Sears, and the Williams name added some panache, I am sure.

From the little bit of information I have picked up over the past couple of years, the Model 400 was the flagship of the line, akin to Wilson's A2000 and the Rawlings HOH lines, though certainly not of the same quality as either of those. It was what it was: a fairly nice glove at a reasonable price. Compared to the Williams models I own, the pictures here seem to show a better balanced front (almost Wilson or McGregor shaped) with the characteristic double row of lacing in the palm. The wingback is something I had not seen before, but notice the welting on the backs of the fingers: it is rolled and covered, or piped. Like most Williams gloves, it has too much web for my tastes; it looks as if it would be stiff and tough to close to me, as are mine.

To me, the patch with the embroidered autograph of Ted Williams is the selling point of any Williams glove. And I have seen them in black and green, black and red, white and black, black and gold, and on the Hall of Fame model, PURPLE!

[Musashi]

Thanks for the info on the TW 400! Surprisingly, the web on this one is very flexible, but I totally agree that the glove would look way better with a more open web. And you're dead on regarding the quality - it's definitely a cut above your typical TW, but it obviously can't compare to the true high-end gloves of the era.

So what do you think - one of the laces in the palm have come loose, and one of the laces holding the ring and pinky fingers together have snapped. Plus, after I conditioned it a little, it's pretty floppy. I know it's an interesting glove and all, but do you think I should get it relaced?

[Cowboy7130]

Make it a do-it-yourself project! Relacing a glove is fairly simple, if you just follow the laces you are removing. I would suggest using a thicker lace than is in the glove, and lace it a bit tighter than it is currently laced. I had an old Rawlings OR520 that was as loose and floppy as Granny's bonnet, but when I relaced it with Louisville Slugger brand laces, which are thicker than the Rawlings relacing kit laces, and because I drew up as much slack as I could in tightening the laces, the glove turned out to be much sturdier than before. Now I play catch with my son with the glove and I never worry about it folding back on my hand or anything like that. It catches the ball firmly, much more so than before I did the relacing.

Then, when you are finished, you will have an almost unique glove that will draw lots of questions and lots of good glove conversation next time you pull it out of your gear bag at the ballpark!

You will probably have some kid ask who Ted Williams is. Whenever my players asked about Dale Murphy, I got to give them a little history lesson about the game. Many were surprised that there were centerfielders before Torii Hunter, Junior Griffey and Coco Crisp!